Solvent cleansing



Dec. 3, 1940. J MORGAN ET'AL 2,223,791

SOLVENTCLEANSING Fil d vom. 9, 1959 Ill .n-IIIIIIIIIIIIII! INVENTORS gz m y lllll I JOHN D. MORGAN I AS PER va ua \TT avg l, ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1-940 UNITED STATES SOLVENT CLEANSING John D. Morgan, South Orange. and Percy B.

Levitt, Mlllburn, N. J., assignors to Power Pat- 1mg:n Company, flillside N. 1., a corporation of M c i Application October 9,

Claims.

The present invention relates to the cleansing of differential gear housings and other inaccessible lubricant-compartments of automobiles and the like, and is more particularly directedto an 6 improved apparatus which is'adapted for the flush cleansing of oil and grease residues. and solid deposits from the inaccessible -lubricant compartments of automobile englnes'and' transmission members; The primary object of the present invention is to provide improvements in method and apparatus which are adapted to eflect such cleansing in a rapid, efficient and relatively inexpensive manner.

The present invention features an improved design of solvent flushing apparatus by means of which even an unskilled operator can rapidly and efliciently cleanse inaccessible transmission parts, crank cases, or other parts of automobiles with the use of a relatively small volume of solvent.

In accordance with the present invention, the cleansing operation is designed to utilize the ordinary filling and drainage ports in the gear house or other parts to be cleansed as the means of access for the cleansing operation, whereby such cleansing can be effected without the necessity of any preliminary dismantling or partial dismantling operation.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention consists of the improved method and means for solvent flushing of lubricant compartments which is hereinafter de-' scribed and more particularly defined in the accompanying claims.

In the following description of the invention reference will be had to the attached .sheet of drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 portrays diagrammatically a preferred arrangement of solvent flushing apparatus in ac- 4o cordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits for controlling the apparatus of Fig. .1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the multiple ported and apertured circulation control 5 valve of theapparatus of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 4 is .a cross section of the control valv casing, taken on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 3.

' The apparatus as portrayed particularly in Fig. 1, includes a tank or reservoir it within which can be stored 'a charge of grease solvent oil such .as kerosene. l2 designates an electric motor,

having a drive shaft I4 on which is mounted the rotary impeller elements of a pair of rotary pumps [6 and I8. Pump It will be hereinafter c5 referred to as a low pressure suction pump, while 1939; Serial No. 298,676

l8 designates a high pressure force pump. 20 designates a warming tank and 22 .an auxiliary storage tank; solvent being charged and stored in both of these tanks at certain periods in the preferred-operating cycle of the apparatus. 24 5 and 26 designate filters which are adapted for separating solid particles from -entrainmentiin the liquid solvent passed therethrough.- A tubular solvent heater 28 is shown as having a plurality of helical ,turns 29 arranged in close heat 10 transferring relation to .the wallsof warming tank 20. An over-flow pipe 30 leads oif. from a point near the top of tank 20 into reservoir l0, and tank 22 is also. provided with an overflow pipe 32 leading to reservoir I ll.

In Fig. 2 the circuit supplyingelectric current for the operation of motor I2 is shown as including a motor control switch 34.. An electric heating circuit 36 is provided for supplying heating current for the tubular heater'28. In the pre- 20 ferredapparatus, heater 28 is constructed of some suitable metal such as a nickel-chromium alloy steel which in itself forms the resistive heating elementportion of circuit 36. The source of heating current includes a transformer 38 hav- 25 ing its primary winding in a circuit under the control 01' a switch 40.- In order to limit the maximum temperature to which the tubular heater is heatedbythe electric current in circuit 38, a thermostat 42 is provided which isoperable 80 to open a thermostatically controlled switch 44 in the primary circuit of transformer 38 when ever the temperature of the heater exceeds a pre- I determined safe maximum. s

In Fig. 1 the apparatus has been illustrated as 36 operatively set up for flushing out the differential housing 46 of an automobile. One of the principal elements of the flushing apparatus includes a small flushing nozzle 48 through which a jet of hot solvent liquid can be projected at. high 4.0 Velocity into housing 46 through a port 50 in the housing which is the regular grease charging port therefor. Removal of the solvent carrying .dis-

solved grease and entrained solid sediment from.

the housing 46 is effected through a suction nozzle 45 52 which is sufllcientlysmall so that it can also be inserted into the housing through port 50. A flexible hose connection 491. leads off from the rearward end of nozzle 48 to one of four ports in a nozzle control valve 54. Another port of valve 54 isconnectedto suction nozzle 52 by a flexible hose ii. The other two ports of valve 4 are. connected by conduits. 58 and 58 respectively with the intake of filter 24 and with the discharge port of filter 26.

The multiple ported and apertured switchin valve 68 (Figs. 1 and 3) is arranged to control the circulation of solvent between the storage reservoir and tanks, the pumps, the heating tube, the filters and the pressure and suction nozzles shown as located in the compartment to be flushed (in this case the housing 46). As shown in Fig. 3, valve 68 includes a rotatable frustoconical core member 62 having a plurality of spaced grooves 63 in its peripheral face. Core 62 is rotatably journaled within a multi-apertured sleeve 84, and sleeve 64 is in turn closely surrounded by a multiported housing 66. A plurality of port openings in'housing 66 are respectively tapped to threadably engage the ends of a plurality of pipes 68, 88, I8, II, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, 11,

v I8 and 88, leading, respectively: to a point near the bottom of reservoir 18; to the discharge port of tank 28; to the discharge port of filter 24; to the upper part of reservoir l8; to the discharge port of pump l6; to conduit 58 bypassing filter 26 and a check valve 82 at the outlet side of the filter; to the discharge end. of heater 28; to a point near the bottom of tank 22; to the top of tank 28; to the intake of filter 26; to the intake of pump l6; and to the intake of heating coil 28 through pump l8.

By means of a handle 84 attached to the stem of the valve core 62, the valve may be rotated to difierent positions in which certain of its ports are communicably connected through the apertures 85 in sleeve 64 and through the peripheral grooves 63 on the surface of core 62. For example, in one position of the valve, solvent may be drawn from reservoir l8 through pipe 68, valve 68 and pipe I8 into pump l6 and forced thence through pipe I2, valve 68 and pipes I5 and 16 into tanks 22 and 28, to charge these tanks to the level of the overflow pipes 32 and 38. During this operation, switch 34 would be closed and switch 48 preferably 'open.

After the tanks 28 and after nozzles 48 and 52 have been placed in position for flushing the differential 46 or other part to be cleansed; switch 48 is closed and valve 68 is turned' to a position in which solvent is withdrawnfrom tank 28 through pipe 68, valve 68 andsolvent is heated by electric resistance to a pre-' determined temperature under the control of resistance circuit 86 and thermostat '42. From heater 28 the-hot solvent is forced under high pressure through pipe I4 and valve 68, and thence through pipes 13 and 58, valve 54 and tubing 48 'to the nozzle 48, from which it is directed in a high velocity jet into the differential housing 46. Under the direction of the operator in manipulating nozzle 48; residual oil, grease and solid deposits can be thoroughly and rapidly removed from the gears and walls within housing- 46, and the mixture of solvent and residue can be carried away under the suction of pump l8 through nozzle 52, tube 58, valve 54, and pipe 56, into filter 24..

In passing through filter 24, any" solids of substantial size are trapped and separated from the solvent stream. From filter 24 the solvent-oilgrease mixture is conducted through pipe I8, valve '68 and pipe 18 to pump I6, and is thence forced through pipe I2, valve 68, and pipe I6, back into tank 28.

In order to limit the size of the apparatus within a range which is easily portable by hand, and in order to provide for economical and emci'ent use of the liquid solvent, arrangement has 22 have been filled and been made to recirculate the solvent through tank 28, heater 28, the compartment to be flushed (for example housing 46), and filter 24. To permit of the reservoir l8, a valve 86 is mounted in overflow pipe 38, and stem 88 f this valve forms the movable core of a solenoid 88 which is connected to be energized by the current flowing in the electric heating circuit 38 for heater 28. Thus so long as electric heating current is supplied to heater 28, valve 86 remains closed to prevent the flow of solvent through over-flow pipe 38; while the valve opens to permit over-flow of solvent from tank 28 during periods when heater 28 is not operating. v

In order to drain solvent from housing 46 after the grease and solvent residue have been flushed out, a clamp valve 82 is provided to cut 05 flow of solvent to nozzle 48 during the period when pump l6 sucks out residual solvent from housing 46 through nozzle 52. After the above operation, nozzles 48 and 52 may be removed from the housing 46, and pump l8 may then be operated to draw contaminated solvent from tank 28 and to discharge it through nozzle 48 either to waste or to a solvent purifying unit. The degree of contamination of the solvent can be observed through a sight box 94 in pipe I6. During the period when contaminated solvent is being discharged from the apparatus, valve 68 may be turned to a third position atwhich, with switch 48 preferably open, clean solvent is drawn from tank 22 through pipe I5, valve 68, and pipe I8, into pump I6, and thence delivered to tank 28 from which it is circulated through the remaining parts of the system and finally discharged through nozzle 48. In this manner all of the units of the apparatus and the connecting'pipes can be flushed out with clean solvent.

For flushing crank cases for other relatively large lubricant compartments, valve 68 may be turned to a fourth position by which storage reservoir I8 is brought directly into the circulating system. When using this circuit, solvent is withdrawn from tank l8 by the operation of pump l8 and is forced through heater 28 and thence into the crank case or other compartment to be flushed. The contaminated solvent is withdrawn from the crank case by suction of pump 16 and is returned to the reservoir l8 through valve 68 and pipe 'I I. The partially contaminated solvent may be recirculated until the crank case has been thoroughly cleaned. Filter 26 is provided as an auxiliary filter through whichpartially contaminated solvent may be circulated for removal of solid impurities therefrom.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new is:

1. In apparatus for removing oil and grease from the lubricating compartments of automobiles and the like, the combination of a warming tank for lubricant solvents, a tubular heater disoped by said high pressure pump at high velocity and in a controlled direction into the compartment to be cleansed, means including a suction nozzle and a low pressure suction pump and connections for removing the solvent and dissolved lubricant from the compartment and recharging the tank therewith for recirculation, and amtary valve having multiple-ports and apertures arranged to control flow of solvent through all of said connections.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a storage reservoir for solvent, suction connections between said storage reesrvoir and each'oi' the pumps under the control of said rotary valve,

and a filter in thesuction connection between the compartment and the low pressure pump.

3. In apparatus for removing oil and grease from the lubricating compartments of automobiles and the like, the combination of a storage reservoir for lubricant solvents, a warming tank, a tubular heater disposed in heat transferring relation to the walls of said tank, an overflow pipe leading oi! from near the top 01' the warming tank intothe storage reservoir, a valve for controlling said overflow, an electric heating circuit including said tubular heater as the heating element, means operatively associated with said electric heating circuit for actuating said valve,

and pumps having flow connections with the res- 1 ervoir, tank and heater.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, together with a fllter in the connection between the discharge end of the heating coil and the compartment to be flushed, and a by-pass for said fllter under the control of the rotary valve.

5. In apparatus for removing oil and grease from the lubricating compartments of automobiles and the like, the combination of a storage reservoir for lubricant solvents, a small flushing tankhaving an overflow connection leading to the storage reservoir, a warming tank, a tubular heater, means including a high pressure pump and connections for withdrawing solvent from said warming tank and forcing it through said heater, means including a nozzle and connections for directing hot solvent under the pressure developed by said high pressure pump into the compartment to be cleansed, means including a suction nozzle and a low pressure suction pump and connections for removing solvent and dissolved lubricant from the compartment and recharging the warming tank therewith for recirculation, charging connections between the flushing tank and the warming tank and the discharge port of the low pressure pump, and discharge connections between the flushing tank and the storage reservoir and the suction port or the low pressure pump.

JOHN MORGAN. PERCY B. LEVI'I'I. 

